A Year in Space

Astronauts Jessica Meir and Victor Glover visit Launch Pad 39B, where the space shuttle used to launch, and the Vehicle Assembly Building, the “high holy cathedral of space.”

Astronauts Scott Kelly and Jessica Meir discuss the importance of the Twin Study, which will help scientists understand the effects of being in space for a year.

Beyond A Year in Space picks up where A Year in Space left off: Scott Kelly’s last day in space and return to Earth. The special also introduces viewers to the next generation of astronauts training to leave Earth’s orbit and travel into deep space.

One Year Mission crew members Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko drop through the atmosphere in a Soyuz spacecraft, landing on March 2nd in the desolate Kazakhstan desert.

Before she became an astronaut, Jessica Meir was a biological scientist studying how animals live in extreme environments.

Before he became an astronaut, Victor Glover was a fighter pilot in the US Navy.

While Scott Kelly spent a year on the International Space Station, his twin brother Mark spent a year on earth. By analyzing the differences between the two men, NASA researchers hope to gain insight into the effects of spaceflight on the human body.

We have landed on the moon, sent rovers to Mars and the outer solar system, built a million-pound space station, but we continue to dream of space travel. But why? What compels us to reach for the stars?

Using data from identical twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, NASA’s twin study is investigating the long-term effects of space travel on the human body. The results will be used to help get humans to Mars.

Even from its orbit of 249 miles above, Scott Kelly stays connected to the people of Earth with the power of social media. His Twitter feed and Instagram accounts have become world-wide phenomena. #YearinSpace

Over the course of his year in space, astronaut Scott Kelly will conduct over 400 experiments – everything from fluid dynamics to zero gravity farming. But the primary experiment is on himself -- investigating the long-term effects of space travel on the human body.

In the world of zero gravity of the International Space Station, making dinner can be tricky. Astronauts must rely on surface tension, Velcro and crafty planning to prepare their meals. A Year in Space premieres Wednesday, March 2, 2016, 8/9c on PBS. #YearInSpace